


Peridot Writes Her First Cover Song

by tambourineblossom



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types, Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Gen, I love you George Blagden never change, Inspired by a certain actor's singing, The Les Mis fandom is so much the richer for you and your actions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2016-11-20
Packaged: 2018-09-01 02:20:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8603428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tambourineblossom/pseuds/tambourineblossom
Summary: Inspired by her newfound love of the Les Misérables film, and Grantaire and Enjolras's tragically beautiful romance, Peridot writes a song for the gem she'd want to be beside her on barricade day.





	

A single bare light bulb illuminated Peridot in the beat-up recliner she had set up in front of her computer. She adjusted the webcam to make sure it captured both her perfect hair and the ukulele she had borrowed from Steven. An entire afternoon of teaching herself chords culminated in this, her guaranteed ticket to internet stardom! 

A few practice chords wouldn't hurt. It didn't sound as... musical as when Steven played, but the melody was still recognizable. Surely humans, with all their flaws, wouldn't notice any faults with her playing.

...Maybe her bowtie would distract them.

A few false starts and she felt confident enough to turn on the recording. She did her best to mimic the voice of the human who inspired her, shutting her eyes and letting herself focus on her singing. "Love of mine, someday you will die, and I'll be close behind, I'll follow you into the dark."

This song was about a lot of human concepts she didn't really understand, but her recent forays into fiction outside Camp Pining Hearts had told her about human heaven and hell, places of punishment and reward that went beyond the shattering of their 'souls', the human equivalent to gems. Steven didn't want to tell her about them, and Greg explained only some humans believed in them. Peridot didn't quite understand that; gems practically worshiped their diamonds and punishment and reward were quite close to hand, not distant concepts to be believed in or not. Did human nonbelievers get the same rush she felt when she defied Yellow Diamond? This would explain a lot, honestly.

A blinking red light reminded her that she had already gone over her recording time, thinking about things that didn't matter. "Rrrrgh," she groaned. "One more take."

"Love of mine, one day- someday you will die, and I'll be close behind, I'll follow you into the dark. No blinding light, or tunnels to gates of white, just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark."

She breathed out. First verse down. She could do this. It was easy enough that humans did it for fun, after all.

"If heaven and hell decide, that they both are satisfied, illuminate the nose on their vacancy sign--" She didn't get that part either. The whole chorus was a confusing human mess, but it definitely spoke to her. Percy and Pierre felt this way, and Enjolras and Grantaire did as well.

On some level, maybe so did she. She certainly felt that way right now, beneath the performance anxiety.

"--if there's no one beside you when your soul embarks, then I'll follow you into the dark."

A quick break before the next verse, adjust her bowtie and make sure the camera is still pointed at her. She was doing great.

"In friendship school, I looked like such a fool, I had my feelings bruised, by the lady in blue." She closed her eyes, remembering the way her roomie was back then. Peridot honestly couldn't blame her; they were only a few weeks from the worst events of Lapis's life, and Peridot was kind of sort of maybe to blame for more than a few of them. She mumbled something meaningless for the next few bars; she had never quite figured out how she was going to handle that part, but she picked up with enthusiasm once she got to the part that had inspired her to write the cover in the first place. "Pain is the heart of art, and I knew it was true."

"Peridot? What are you doing?" came a voice from just behind her shoulder.

"Gyaaah!" Peridot fell to the floor and scampered back to her feet, checking to make sure that the ukulele wasn't broken. "Lapis! I was just working on a song about my... feelings. About you." She suddenly wanted very much to stare at the corners of the room, and her temperature regulators were failing, giving her cheeks a burning sensation.

"Oh. I'm flattered." Lapis leaned back onto her wings, which helpfully formed a comfortable, if tall, chair. "Do you mind if I listen?"

"Gee, thanks. I was going to sing it for you eventually, but first I was going to show it to a bunch of strangers, but I guess I can start with you." Peridot sat back down, plucked a few notes on the ukulele, and continued.

"If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied, illuminate the nose on their vacancy signs, if there's no one beside you as your soul embarks, then I will follow you into the dark." Lapis seemed to like her voice, at least. Peridot smiled nervously, then picked up with the last verse. "So you see, you're stuck on this rock with me, but I'd be stuck here gratefully, as long _as_ it's with you." Peridot winced; this line didn't feel like art but it was right and true, she'd have to ask Steven for help on this part.

"The time for sleep is now, it's nothing to cry about, 'cause we'll hold each other soon, in the blackest of _roooooooooooms!_ " After that it was just the chorus one last time and then she could relax.

"So? What'd you think?" asked Peridot.

"I think that sounded like you want us to die together," Lapis said uncertainly.

"No! Well, yes. It's a human thing, it's very romantic, humans can't get enough of death, and.... souls." Peridot felt even more overheated, and now her abdomen appeared to be losing cohesion. It felt floaty, and not like it did when she thought about Percy and Pierre. It was all falling apart, she knew it.

"I'm sure if I was a human, I'd be swept off my feet." Lapis stood up, putting her arms loosely around Peridot's shoulders from behind. Lapis gave her a small, gentle smooch on the gem. "As an art critic? It needs work," she said with a smirk.

"Aww." Peridot deflated; Lapis was trying to spare her feelings, which meant that Lapis knew her feelings needed sparing.

"As a gem, however? I'm flattered." She smiled upside down, looking Peridot in the eyes. "I love you too, I think."

Peridot wriggled in her seat excitedly, cackling. Everything had gone wrong that could, yes, but Lapis understood her feelings, and that was the important part! She immediately pulled out her tablet and tweeted all her followers.

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for nothing, you all know Les Mis would be Peridot's, like, third fandom at the latest.


End file.
